In France, the concept of compact and easily assembled furniture was still almost unheard of and Mobilier National, a government institution that promotes French interior design, might have wanted to nudge its artisans in that direction. The winner was graphic designer and origami enthusiast Turenne Chevallereau, who invented a system of interlocking wooden furniture that could be put together without hardware. His side table could be turned into a seat simply by placing a cushion on top.

Despite winning first prize, Chevallereau’s designs seem to have been too far ahead of their time as they remained prototypes. Last year the collection was finally reissued by Source Édition, a Parisian mother-and-daughter enterprise that collaborates with Mobilier National to revive designs from its archives. “We like versatile products,” says co-founder Isabelle de Ponfilly. “It feels like a design of our time.” All pieces are made in Europe and the collection’s name, Tu-Tu, is simply what Chevallereau’s heirs remember calling their grandfather.

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